It has been more than a decade since Ukoo Flani Mau Mau got together to record a hit.
Their new album is underway and this writer goes behind the scenes to find out what the group is up to:
Less than a month after their first meeting in ten years, whose agenda was how to get their new album done, Pulse has managed to gather a few details of happenings behind the scenes in Ukoo Flani Mau Mau circles.
1. While the artistes have been posting photos with the hashtag #HakiYetu, artiste manager Patrick Sampao, who is handling the project, intimates that the album does not have a name yet.
“We haven’t decided on the album title yet. We wanted to get the vibe going, the more they record the more we feel the vibe, which will go a long way in deciding what the album title will be,” says Patrick.
2. Haki Yetu or not, the album is set to reflect the times they live in. Ukoo Flani Mau Mau is known for socially conscious music, with hits like Kilio and Sina Makosa from their Kilio Cha Haki album, and Mazishi ya Polisi and Umati in Dandora Burning, songs that condemned police brutality, corruption, government capture and insecurity. This one will be no different, and the music will have a lot to do with what is going on in the political scene.
3. Fans should expect a full house for the launch. The plan is to have every single artiste who has belted a verse in the songs on stage during the event, which is expected to be a massive concert. This will be a rare occasion to see the full ensemble in action.
4. The number of recording artistes for the album will keep going up, but at the moment, the ensemble includes all active members of Ukoo Flani Mau Mau. So far, we can name Labalaa, Agano, Kitu Sewer, Pop, Nguchi P, Cannibal, Oteraw, G Rongi, Sharama, Lavosti and GuruGang.
“Every voice and face Kenyans saw in Ukoo Flani videos in the past will also be on this one too,” remarks Patrick.
5. Celebrated sound engineer Kevin Provoke is the man charged with the overall music direction. According to insiders, he was handpicked by the members of the group to take charge and he will be tasked with vetting tracks from various producers, and pass them on to the artistes.
6. Chizen Brain, who is now based in Tanzania, is one of the producers in the project. The idea is to have producers who worked on Ukoo Flani projects produce the album. They include Eric Musyoka of Decimal and Ambrose Akwabi of Mandugu Digital and Chizen Brain, both of whom have set a mark in Tanzania. Chizen Brain, originally from Mombasa, has made a name for himself in Tanzania, having worked on Navy Kenzo and Vanessa Mdee’s projects.
7. A number of key artistes and producers will be flown in to record or handle production. Chizen Brain and Ambrose are part of that group. For others, like Kama, Fujo Makelele, Vigeti and Roba of Wenyeji, who are currently overseas, tracks will be sent to them for voicing.
Vigeti is currently in Gambia with his producer Kenring. He is said to be writing for his next album.
8. The artistes, who cook for themselves before hitting the booth, are currently holed up in Greenfields Donholm, where the recording takes place. The BMG (Bulls Music Government) Empire studio, which was opened early last year, is owned by Nasty Bull.
9. What about Juliani? The Pulpit Kwa Streets artiste, who took a different tangent from the rests and made a name for himself in the gospel and NGO circles, is part of the project.
“Juliani is currently recording his album and working on the launch,” says Sampao. “He is, however, in on the project full-swing. He shall record his parts and send in the work.”
10. Ukoo Flani Mau Mau could have done this much earlier, but getting more than 15 artistes together was a logistical challenge, with most members engaged in family life and other ventures besides music. Also, some of the members had fallen on hard times, financially and with drug abuse, while others just fell off the radar for various reasons.
